Improvement in combination locks



P. W. HALL.

Combination Locks.

Patented July 1, 1873.

WY finesses.

V ,mpnom-ilmusmmccaukwsaaawzmomss) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHIDELLO W. HALL, OF CALVERT, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,500, dated July 1,1873; application filed June 20,1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHIDELLO W. HALL, of Calvert, in the county ofRobertson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Combination and Permutation Latch-Lock and I do herebydeclare the following to'be a full, clear, and exact. descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which makepart of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 shows the severalparts of the lock in a position to admit of the retraction of the boltto unlock the door. Fig. 2 shows the bolt retracted. Fig. 3 shows thebolt as shot and the disks thrown out of position to prevent theretractionjof the bolt. Fig. 4 represents a top viewof the rear plate ofthe lock and the safety-pin in position. Fig. 5 is a longitudinalvertical section through the lock, and

represents the pin in place for preventing the movement of thecombination disks to admit of the bolt being used as a latch only. Fig.6

- represents the pin in position it assumes when it is desired to lockthe bolt from the inside,

whether the knobs be thrown off the combination or not.

My invention relates to combination latchlocks, wherein I employ certaindevices and arrange them relatively to and with each other, in suchmanner as that the knob-latch, while performing its special function,will also serve as the lock uponany combination to which it may beadjusted, and the said latch can be operated from either the outside orinside of the door as a latch simply, or as a combination lock, whichlatter is further secured from the inside by the employment of asafetypin, rendering the bolt in its locked position perfectly secure,while by its partial withdrawal it prevents the possible change of thecombinationv from the outside, and admits of the free use of the latchindependent of such combination, all as will be hereinafter morespecifically described.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the case of an ordinarydoor-lock, having therein the sliding bolt B, as fully shown in theseveral figures of the drawings, which bolt is provided with studs orprojections a a, extending outwardly therefrom and at right anglesthereto, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. 0 represents thespindle of the knob for operating the bolt, and D the armed hub forretracting said bolt, which latter is thrown forward or shot by thespiral spring E, the ends of which are attached, respectively, to a studon said bolt and to the inner face of the lock-case. The several partsthus far referred to constitute the devices employed in an ordinarydoor-lock. To utilize the bolt B, as a look upon certain combinations, Iemploy the devices now referred to. It may be here stated that one, two,or more knobs may be used, or the number of combination disks may beincreased, at the option of the manufacturer. F represents the rear andG H the forward combination disks, which serve to hold the latch in alocked position. The disk F is connected to a spindle, F, which passesthrough the door F and on the outside is secured the knob F which isprovided with certain figures and marks, and correspondingfigures andmarks are made on a plate, I, attached to the outside of the door. Thedisk G is attached to a spindle, G which has its knob G and the disk His connected to an annular plate, H, by means of'a hollow sleeve, 11,through which hollow sleeve passes the spindle G whereby the said diskscan be moved together or separately, as may be desired, the knob Grbeing provided with a pin on its face contiguous to the annular plate Hwhich fits into depressions or holes in said annular plate; or thesurface of one or the other may be roughened or notched, so that whenpressed together they are moved in unison, and when relieved can beseparately adjusted to make any desired combination. The knob G and theannular plate H have also figures and marks which, with the marks on theplate I, enable different combinations to be made on the forward disks.The several disks F G H are provided withslots c c of a size sufficientto admit the studs or projections a a of the bolt B, as clearly shown inthe drawings. These disks are attached and held to their respectivespindles by small setscrews 6 e, which also serve to enable them to bemoved circumferentially thereon to change the combination, as desired.This change is effected when the bolt is retracted, and the studs orprojections thereof are within their respective slots, and hence theset-screws e e exert sufficientpressure on the spindles to hold thedisks securely when the knobs are turned with them but when thecombination is to be altered to allow the knobs to move while the disksare held in one position by the projections on the bolt, if deemedexpedient, taps and washers on the upper faces of the disks may be usedto properly hold the disks to their spindles.

I will now proceed to describe the means I employ for using the bolt asa latch simply, or when used as a lock, to secure it in its lockedposition from the inside, and without any reference to the combinationto which it has been set.

The disks F G H are provided with holes g to receive a pin, J, whichpasses through the rear plate of the lock-case into said holes, and,when required, into a hole, h, in the bolt 13, for a purpose to bepresently described. Pivoted to the outer rear face of the lock-case isa plate, K, of about the thickness of the bolt B. If it be desired touse said bolt as a latch simply the two disks should be held togetherand in such a position relatively to the bolt-as that the projectionsthereon shall always be in line with and have free entrance into theslots in the disks to insure its retraction, and whereby any tamperingwith the combination knobs on the outside of the door is prevented. Thepin J is, in this case, passed through the plate K, which is providedwith a fem ale screwthread to receive the thread on said pin, andthereby prevent its displacement or loss, and into and through the twodisks G H. The thickness of the plate Kis such that the pin J does notcome in contact with the bolt B, leaving it free to be moved as a latch,while the combination cannot be disturbed. If, on the other hand, it bedesired to lock the bolt from the inside, while the door is secured bysaid bolt on a certain combination from the outside, the plate K isswung around on its pivot, the pin J inserted through the rear plate ofthe lock-case, passed through the two disks G H, and into and throughthe bolt 13. It will thus be seen that the disks and bolt are allsecured together and with the front and rear of the lock-case, so thatby no possibility can the combination be disturbed or tampered with, asall the parts of the lock are immovable. It is to be remarked that therear disk is also to be provided with a safety-pin of this description,though only one is shown in the drawing. This device, therefore, servesto secure the door against entry by a person from the outside, eventhough the combination be known.

The pin J, while it serves the important function herein detailed, isalso employed as the means for adjusting the setscrews on the severaldisks, its lower end being constructed for that purpose, as shown in thedrawing.

I contemplate duplicating the combination knobs and other mechanism onthe inside of the lock, so that the device can be used either from theoutside or inside as a combination lock, or as alatch, with equalfacility by any person knowing the combination to whichit has been setto operate.

Instead of the bolt being shot by the tension of the spiral sprin gitwill be seen that a key can be employed to operate it without departingfrom the spirit and intent of my invention.

The lockis a substantial, durable,'and effective one, and combines allthe elements of a door-latch and lock, with the characteristic advantageof facility of change of combination at a cost even below or certainlynot exceeding that of the door-lock in common use.

Having described my invention, I claim'- 1. The combination of the boltB, disks G H, pin J, and plate K, whereby the disks may be secured whenthe bolt is used as a latch, or the disks and bolt secured when desiredto lock the bolt, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the bolt B having lugs or projections to a, disksF G H, con structed as described, and secured to their respectivespindles by set-screws e e, safety-pin J, plate K, spindles I G andknobs F G, the whole constructed, arranged, and operating as described,and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

PHIDELLO W. HALL.

WVitnesses EDM. F. BROWN, R. H. STEELE.

